Coming Home To You
by Alexa88
Summary: Lucius is furious at Draco's refusal to continue the Dark Lord's work after he fell at the hands of Harry Potter in the second wizarding war, and has sworn to make him pay for his betrayal to the dark side...Without a friend and without a purpose...will Draco ever find his way home...
1. Changing Sides

Changing Sides

Voldemort was gone. The Boy Who Lived had won. The dark side was defeated and the death eaters that had survived began to flee. The youngest Malfoy stood across the courtyard staring at the Golden Trio.

"Come son, it is time for us to leave", said Lucius steering his son away from the scene before them as the ministry officials swooped in rounding off the last of the death eaters that were trying to get away. "No", came the reply. Lucius was taken aback. He had never been disobeyed before and especially not by his son.

Before he could say another word he spotted an angry looking official heading their way. " I am disappointed in you, you are making a terrible mistake and I will make sure that you pay for it", spat Lucius angrily glaring at his son and apparating away with his wife at his side. Draco could not forget the look of pain that shot across his mother's face when they left, but he could no longer follow in his father's footsteps...he simply would not do so. Things were going to be tough but he was willing to move ahead no matter what it took. His father's threats no longer scared him. He had already come to understand that love was a feeling Lucius felt for no one, not his son nor his wife, and it did not surprise him that his father could turn to despise him so easily.

Taking one last look at the Golden Trio, Draco realized that someone had been watching him. Warm brown eyes met the stormy grey ones for a moment. Hermione Granger. She looked away quickly after she realized he had caught her staring at him. Those brown eyes were the last thing he would remember as he turned in his place and vanished.

Draco realized he had apparated to muggle London. Not a place he had been to ever before. His father would never have let him set foot in a place crowded with muggles, but surprisingly Draco felt a feeling of calm wash over him as he stepped onto the busy road. It had been a couple of minutes he had arrived here and not a single person had so much as even taken notice of him. It was a relief to get away from angry glares and fearful glances. He kept on walking not knowing where he was going or what he was going to do. Part of him was scared as he now had no place to go to or no one to turn to. He had no friends he could rely on...except maybe Blaise, his best friend. But Draco knew that his father would definitely try to find him and he did not want to drag Blaise into all of this. This was his decision and he was going have to find a way to build his life up again. He would have to find his own path now and the thought of doing it all by himself was overwhelming. He sat down on a nearby park bench trying to think of what to do.

A few hours passed by and Draco could not think of a place to go to. He felt completely lost and the loneliness began to slowly creep in. He refused to dwell on these thoughts any longer. He had come up with nothing really so he decided to head to the Leaky Cauldron and stay there for the night. Tomorrow he could begin looking for a place again.

Draco apparated right int the bar of the Leaky Cauldron. It had started to get dark and there were quite a few people in the bar as it was terribly cold outside. Tom the bartender was clearing up a table. He looked up as Draco approached him. 'A butter beer please and a room for the night", said Draco. The bartender gave him a surprised look. It was exceptionally rare to be spoken to kindly by a Malfoy. Draco too tired to care, finished his drink and followed him to a room on the first floor.

After giving him the key, Tom left and Draco entered the room. He had never stayed in any of the rooms here before. For him the Leaky Cauldron had just been a way of getting into Diagon Alley. He looked around the room. It was not very big, just enough for one person. There was a bed in the corner. The opposite wall had a small desk and a chair and beside it was a wardrobe. A jug of fresh water stood on the desk, refilling itself every time it was emptied. A small window opened up to the street below. A fire was cheerfully blazing in the fireplace, its warmth spreading across the room. Draco realized he was now feeling extremely hungry, but was too tired to go back down again. With that he collapsed onto the bed and before he knew it he was fast asleep.

Finally done with the first chapter. I was really excited writing it and I hope you guys enjoy reading it. This is my first Dramione fan fiction so please review and comment...Love to all Dramione fans...

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER.


	2. Another Encounter

Another Encounter

Warm rays of Sunshine fell across the face of a young brunette. She turned over to the other side and promptly fell asleep again. She had been through far too much over the last year and now was the time for her to relax. Hermione's sleep was yet again disturbed by Mrs. Weasley calling everyone down for breakfast. Shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight she headed for the bathroom to get dressed for breakfast. She could hear Mrs. Weasley fussing over Harry and Ron downstairs as she made her way down to the kitchen. "Just a little more dear," she said to Harry and then to Ron, tipping a few more sausages into their plates, " You both look terribly weak," she said looking at them fondly, her gaze full of motherly love. Mrs. Weasley had always considered Harry to be like one of her sons and Harry too respected her and cared for her dearly.

"Oh Hermione dear, come here and have some breakfast," she said coming over to Hermione with a plate in her hand. The food was delicious as always and to the three of them who had to survive on meager meals over the last year when they were on the run, this felt like a feast. After breakfast the three of them went out into the backyard as Harry and Ron decided to play a game of Quidditch with the rest of the Weasley brothers and Ginny. Hermione sat under a nearby tree with a book in her hand. Some things will never change, thought Harry as he gazed over to where Hermione was seated with her nose buried in a book. She had been his source of strength and had supported him at a time when he had been more alone than ever before, the time when Ron had left. He loved and and respected her like a sister. He silently promised himself to always be there for her and support her the way she had supported him.

Hermione looked up to see Harry staring at her with a dazed look, as if he had something going on at the back of his mind. He gave her a smile and she smiled back knowing that he was probably thinking of the past. She would always be there for him and Ron as they were there for her. She suddenly found herself thinking about a pair of grey eyes that bore into her as she stood beside her friends after the war. She remembered the look on Draco's face and was greatly surprised that he didn't leave with his parents. She had been watching him and was able to catch a bit of the heated conversation they had going on. She had heard how Draco had refused to return with his parents and how Lucius had threatened him. She wondered where he must be and what he must be doing. Had something changed? Had the war changed him? She pulled up her sleeve and looked down at her arm which was now healing quickly but still had the scars of the word 'Mudblood' carved in by Bellatrix. He had stood by and done nothing. But she also remembered the look on his face. He had been absolutely horrified. His eyes had been filled with shock and maybe...sadness. It touched her to think that after tormenting her for so many years, he could actually feel such an emotion for her. She hoped that wherever he was, he was looking forward to starting over, and as that thought crossed her mind she made a decision to do her best to give him a second chance at a fresh start.

"A penny for your thoughts," said Ron as he scuttled down next to her. "Oh its nothing," she said and smiled at him sweetly as he leaned over to kiss her. Somehow the kiss didn't feel the same way felt before. "What you doin Hermione?" asked Harry as he sat down next to the two of them, beads of sweat dripping of the edge of his nose. "Just trying to finish this book," said Hermione. "I want to go to Diagon alley today," she said standing up and brushing the grass off her clothes. "Why?" asked Ron following her into the house. "Is there something you need?" asked Harry a they climbed up the staircase entering a room on the first floor. "Well, I need to get myself some books from Flourish an Blotts," said Hermione as she plopped herself onto the bed. "What books?", asked Ron"don't you already have enough of them here? You can't possibly have finished reading all of them?" he asked staring at the two huge piles of books in the corner. "Of course I have Ron, ages ago," she said giving him an exasperated look. "What do you think I've been doing all throughout last year?" she cried. "Ok we'll all go down to Diagon alley together today, I wanna visit Fred and George as well," said Ron scratching his neck. "You comin too right Harry?" "Sure," said Harry, "Its been a while since we've been there," he said looking at them.

After a quick lunch, the three of them apparated away to Diagon Alley. They turned up just outside the Leaky Cauldron. the pub was quite busy for that time of the day. Tom the bartender smiled at the as they passed by, bowing a little as Harry passed. Harry was now regarded as the saviour of the wizarding world and pub went silent as people realized who had just entered. "Um...we'll just be heading off," he said nervously, glancing at the people around.

They made their way quickly to the brick wall and tapped it waiting for the archway to form leading them into Diagon alley. Once they stepped out into the busy street, they made their way to Gringotts to withdraw some of their gold. "What should we do first?" asked Ron staring at Hermione. She eyed him suspiciously and knew what he wanted. "Its ok, lets split up, I'll go down to Flourish and Blotts and you two can go look around. We'll meet up in about an hour at Fred and George's shop." said Hermione. "You're the best Mione," said Ron hugging her tight. She gave him a small smile looking at the excitement on his face. "You sure you'll be fine Mione?" asked Harry. "Of course I will, you two have fun ok," she said smiling at him. She watched the two of them walk down the street before heading down to the bookstore. In a matter of minutes Hermione found herself lost as she grabbed a few books and sat down to take a quick look through them. There wasn't anyone else in the bookstore as it was late in the afternoon and she was pleased to be able to move around the tiny book shop exploring several new books on display. The tingling sound of a bell at the entrance of the store caught her attention as someone else entered the store. Someone with silvery blonde hair tucked beneath a woolen cap. Malfoy.

Done with the second chapter...this one was a bit slow but I plan of covering a lot so going over lots of the background in detail...would love to hear you comments and reviews so please leave me your comments about this piece so far. Sorry its taken a few days for me to update but been really busy with work. I will be updating another chapter soon. A big thank you to sshanholtzer44 and Anjion for your comments and motivation. It felt great. Thanks to all my readers and followers for your support. Love to all Dramione fans...

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER.


	3. A Second Chance

His week had not gone well. Draco was not used to living in a tiny room all day. He tried to stay in, mostly to avoid the crowded streets of Diagon Alley. He had visited Gringotts to take out some of the gold he would need from his personal savings. Things were going to be tough now and he wasn't going to be able to live as lavishly as he did in the past. His savings were limited and he would have to try and find a job soon, something he never thought of doing before. But if this is what it cost to stay away from his dark past, then this was a price he was willing to pay.

Draco slowly began venturing into Diagon Alley again, but mostly during the afternoons when it was not very crowded. The weather wasn't getting any better and it was still terribly cold. Late into the afternoon after he finished his lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, Draco decided to head over to Flourish and Blotts to pick up a few books so that he could pass his time. He pulled a jacket over his black jumper and grabbed a woolen cap to cover his head.

His mother had sent over some his belongings a few days ago, when Lucius had been out. Draco was grateful, for he had not brought anything with him and would have had to spend a lot on clothes and things he would need. He wrote back to his mother thanking her and promising to keep in touch secretly without Lucius knowing about it. Glancing at himself in the mirror he wrapped his slytherin scarf around his neck and stepped out of his room. He made his way downstairs and into the cold street.

He was soon standing in front of Flourish and Blotts. Peering through the glass door he could make out that the store was quite empty and so pushing the door ahead gently he entered the shop. A bell jingled softly at the entrance announcing his arrival into the store. The owner looked up and then returned to dusting a shelf behind the counter. Draco made his way to the back of the store. Grabbing a few books out of a shelf, he settled down into one of the seats at the back and began reading.

A few minutes later he looked up and stared around. He suddenly got the feeling that he was being watched. Looking down at the book in his hand he pretended to read . After a few minutes he looked up again and that was when he saw a pair of brown eyes staring at him from between the shelves on the right. He got up and moved swiftly towards the shelves. Peering around the bookcase he found himself face to face with her.

"Granger," he said staring at her. She looked at him as though she was trying to read him. He could make out that she also looked bit scared at the same time. His expression softened as he looked at her. "Draco," she replied suddenly smiling at him, "What are you doing here?" she asked staring at him. He was a little taken aback with the way she called him by his first name and spoke to him kindly. It somehow felt nice. " Just here to pick up some books," he said casually. This felt strange. Who would have thought that he, Draco Malfoy would be capable of having a nice friendly chat with Hermione Granger in a bookstore. Well stranger things have probably happened. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" she asked suddenly. " No," he replied, "I mean yes...er...well, actually what i'm trying to say I guess... i-is that I don't mind," he stammered. She smiled at him and seated herself in a chair next to his and opened a book she had pulled of a nearby book shelf.

There was an awkward silence as both stared at the books in their hands pretending to read while actually trying to think of what to do or say next. Hermione looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He seemed to to be staring at the book but she could make out he wasn't reading as his eyes weren't moving. Maybe he was uncomfortable in her presence she thought, but when had Malfoy ever bothered about anything like that. Ever since the final day of the battle she had thought of him and wondered what he was doing. The very fact that he not yet insulted her once after they had met, strengthened her belief that he had probably changed. She decided that the only way she could help, was to be open with him.

"How are you managing all by yourself Draco," she asked suddenly, "are you alright?" She was a little scared that he may get upset and storm away but she had to try or she would never be able to help him. Her Gryffindor bravery overpowered her fear at such times. Draco looked at her with a shocked expression. "What do you mean?' he asked. " I know you're alone Draco", she said, "I know you're not staying with your family any longer and ...I just wanted to know if you were alright" she finished with a look of concern on her face. "H-how do y-you...know about that?" he stammered, looking at her in shock. "I heard you and your father on the final day of the battle," she said slowly, "I didn't mean to pry but the way he spoke to you...I'm happy you chose the right path Draco. What you did takes a lot of courage and I just want you to know that if you ever need a friend I'll be there for you."

"Why would you do that...I mean for someone like me, I've been nothing but horrible to you and you're still saying that you want t-to help me," he said sounding shocked. "People change Draco," she said smiling at him, "and I believe that everyone deserves a second chance." For the first time in days, his face broke into a true smile. Hermione smiled back at him as she held out her hand to him, "friends...?" she asked. He stared at her and then slowly reached out and took her small hand in his. "Friends, " he said smiling at her. Draco felt a huge weight being lifted off his chest as he held her hand in his. Finally someone who trusted him and was willing to give him a second chance, finally someone who cared, he thought.

"I need to get going," she said suddenly standing up, " I promised to meet Harry and Ron and if I don't turn up they'll come looking for me," she said pulling on a cap over her bushy brown hair. Draco felt a pang of sadness as he watched her getting ready to leave. It was after so long that he had met someone who had been so kind to him, but he knew she was right and maybe Potter and the Weasel may not approve of her speaking to him, he thought sadly. She looked at him and noticed the look of sadness in his eyes. He must be so lonely, she thought. "Can we meet again?" he suddenly asked her, "I mean if you don't mind that is". "Sure," she said, "and why would I mind, were friends now right?" "Right," he said smiling at her. "I'll owl you," she said as she turned to leave. "Her-hermione...," he called and she turned around surprised to hear him call her by her first name, "thank you," he said. "You're welcome Draco, " and with that she left the shop, a smile on her face.

A soft smile played across his face as he thought of how she smiled when she spoke to him. To think that he could make someone happy was a strange thought, and with that he decided, that he would do all he could to keep her smiling.

Sorry it took so long to update...have not been keeping well...was also waiting for my new laptop to arrive...thank you everyone who has taken the time out to read this story...please review and comment so I know what you guys think of it...I'm really enjoying writing this and i love the way its going...I hope you guys are having fun reading it too.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER.


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